The number of Egyptians eligible to vote in the upcoming presidential elections has grown to 53 million, Ashraf Abdel Wahab, minister of state for administrative development, told state-run MENA.

The newest figure shows a 3 million increase in the number of voters in the country, up from the 50 million who voted in parliamentary elections that ended in January.

Wahab said in an exclusive statement to MENA that the increase is due to the addition of new citizens to the body of voters, many of whom have just turned eighteen. Criminals and members of the armed forces are not allowed to vote in Egypt.